


Safe Place

by I_am_a_Ruin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Cuddling, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, How is that not a tag, Insomnia, Keith (Voltron) is a Dork, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Platonic Cuddling, Shameless, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), Unresolved Tension, hair petting, it is not all that platonic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-05-18 19:13:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19340854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_am_a_Ruin/pseuds/I_am_a_Ruin
Summary: Keith is incapable of relaxing (thanks insomnia) and a movie night put him to sleep finally. Unfortunately, he's been pining after Lance for months whether he's willing to admit or not and Lance is playing with his hair.(Soft fic, very fluffy)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I know, it's very hard to believe I'm posting twice in a row. There will VERY likely be a second chapter where these idiots stop pining already and kiss but I didn't want to make this one too much like Keith is A Cup, so. Sorry folks. This one is unresolved pining for now.  
> Don't take it too seriously. I was mostly just examining my own appreciation for very little hair contact. It's probably the touch starvation, who knows.  
> This is not in any way dirty. It's literally all fluff. Keith is just a sleepy boi.  
> Hope you guys enjoy!!

Keith had been fighting sleep for awhile now, but it wasn’t exactly easy. He could hardly remember the last time he even had a decent night’s rest. His brain would not shut off most nights and he mostly didn’t mind because it meant he had more time to work on homework. Tonight was the first time he had been able to relax without homework hanging over him and just spend time with his friends. 

Unfortunately, Lance was the one that got to pick the movie. Keith was pretty sure the plot was supposed to be engaging but it was so obvious the couple was going to end up together despite all the drama so it was just boring. Pidge had promised to not complain for the entire two hours and three minutes the movie was on so she was just scrolling on her phone. Hunk and Lance were the only two really paying any attention. 

Keith really wished he could get away with being on his phone too, but Lance had sworn up and down that Keith would like this one. If Keith stopped pretending he was paying attention, Lance would get all pouty with dramatically loud sighs through the movie and at the end look at Keith would the most wounded, heart-breaking puppy eyes ever. Keith could not go through that again. So, he tried to force his heavy eyelids to stay open and stifle his yawns. 

“You want some M&Ms?” Lance whispered, leaning over the drop-down cup holder separating them to hold his box in Keith’s face. 

Keith stared at them for a moment, processing the offer before nodding slowly and letting Lance dump a handful out for him. He poured the candy into his cup holder and rested his head on the divider, hand occasionally grabbing an M&M and popping it in his mouth.

He’d been really hoping the candy would help him stay awake but he woke up an indiscernible amount of time later with mostly melted chocolates on his tongue and the movie definitely progressed quite a bit. Damn. Maybe no one noticed?

And that’s when he noticed it, the thing that was making his skin feel all tingly and keeping his body relaxed. Someone’s fingers were in his hair, mostly just carding through it, occasionally allowing their nails to gently scratch his scalp.

Lance was playing with his hair. Normally that’d be enough to have him red in the face and grumpy the rest of the night because damn Lance and his mixed signals, but… It felt so nice and he had not felt this relaxed in he didn’t know how long. Keith was also pretty sure he couldn’t pull away even if he wanted to. Already he was fighting the instinct to press closer to Lance’s hand. Who knew he’d enjoy someone playing with his hair so much?

Seriously, Lance must have magic hands. It didn’t even feel totally intentional, more like Lance was just absentmindedly letting his hand do whatever while he watched the movie. It didn’t matter. Keith was totally out of it now. It was completely innocent, too. He just felt sleepy and content to continue receiving the affection. If he were a cat he’d totally be purring right now.

It was hard to do anything with Lance’s fingers in his hair. Every time he tried to think or refocus so if he was quizzed about the movie later he wouldn’t embarrass himself, the thoughts just floated away. Nothing would stay in his brain. 

At some point the movie ended and everyone packed up their things to go back to their own apartments. Keith was pretty sure he was also supposed to be doing that, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He was definitely still awake, but he couldn’t even open his eyes. Lance’s hand never left his hair, never faltered in its movements even as the other two said their goodbyes. Pidge probably left with a knowing smirk directed at the pair of them and Keith should be embarrassed. This was absolutely shameless. He still couldn’t make himself care that much about it right now.

He’d just have to endure her teasing later. Besides, if Lance had a problem with it, he’d have stopped and shaken Keith awake to let him know it was time to leave. He didn’t do that, just let Keith stay curled up on his side of the sofa while Lance kept playing with his hair. 

Who knew if this would ever happen again, anyways? Keith should just enjoy it while it lasted.

“Keith? Buddy, you awake?” Lance’s voice was so soft that if it hadn’t been Keith’s name he was saying, Keith likely would have missed it altogether. 

He pressed into Lance’s hand that hadn’t stopped but definitely slowed down and sighed heavily, trying to collect his thoughts enough to respond. Keith just ended up making some kind of incoherent noise, not even sure what he’d been attempting to actually say. 

“You’re really out of it, huh? Wanna stay here or do you want me to make you some coffee so you can drive home?” Lance spoke up just a little, the movement’s on Keith’s hair a lot more intentional and closer to petting than it had been.

Keith forced his eyes opening, blinking blearily and trying to find Lance’s face. What did Lance want him to do?

“Do you want to stay?” Lance repeated, moving out of his seat to crouch near Keith’s face.

Keith nodded, fighting a yawn. At least he finally managed to speak real words, “Please.”

Lance broke out in a massive grin. “Alright. Well you’re gonna hate me, but there’s no way I’m letting you sleep on this couch. It’ll kill your neck, trust me.”

“No moving.” Keith said stubbornly, trying to sit up so he could push the cup holder back up to prove this was a perfect sleeping spot. However, Lance just used that to his advantage and pulled Keith off the couch altogether. Keith groaned in protest but Lance just chuckled and dragged him by the wrist to the bedroom. 

“You still picky about sleeping furthest from the wall?” Lance asked as he searched through his dresser for pajamas that Keith could wear. 

Keith decided he liked Lance a lot better when he was playing with Keith’s hair and not teasing him. 

When Keith got back from changing into his pajamas, Lance was sitting on his bed cross-legged and chewing his bottom lip, deep in thought. Lance looked up as Keith closed the door, “Did you really hate the movie that much?”

“What?” Keith asked, not sure what he’d done to receive the Sad Eyes this time.

“Was it really so boring that you were that out of it? Like… you didn’t even say goodbye to Pidge and Hunk.”

That embarrassed feeling that made his face go so red was back. Lately he’d been able to return some of Lance’s flirtatious lines and it was fun to see  _ Lance  _ flustered for a change. However, how was he supposed to explain that Lance’s hands had been the real reason he’d turned into a puddle? That was a different matter.

“Uh, no. Sorry I just haven’t been sleeping well lately,” Keith explained while Lance moved over to make room for him.

“Finals kicking your butt, huh?” Lance hummed. 

“Yeah. Ended up missing a lot of the movie. We can watch it again another time if you want?” Keith offered, hoping it would be enough placating to make the Sad Eyes go away.

“Alright, that’d be fun. Try to get some sleep, okay?”

 

“Hey, how’d you get your hair so soft?” It was dark and Keith had actually thought Lance was asleep by now. He’d been silent long enough. Whatever though.

He shrugged, “I dunno. I just use bar soap.”

“On your  _ hair?”  _ Woah. Lance sounded totally scandalized, even shot upright which was annoying. Keith had been comfortable. 

Keith wondered how Lance would react to the knowledge that he’d been living off of snack packs of imitation crab and cheap ramen for the past two months. Probably best to not find out. 

“Yeah. So?”

“You absolute heathen. Tomorrow I’m introducing you to shampoo and conditioner, I swear to God.” 

“I thought my hair was soft?”

“Shut up and go to sleep, you freak of nature.”

Keith bit his lip, pondering if it was worth mentioning. That nap had been enough sleep right? But if he didn’t sleep  _ at all  _ tonight, he’d get restless eventually and risk waking Lance up. How was he even supposed to go about asking for this? God, it was so ridiculous. Lance was going to laugh in his face, never mind that he wasn’t that cruel…

“I, um… well, I can’t.” Keith blurted, startling himself. Hadn’t he just decided to stay quiet and suffer?

“Really? You were basically passed out not twenty minutes ago. Why can’t you sleep now?” Lance asked, a bit incredulous but not unkind. He just sounded confused.

Keith was so glad it was dark because his face was on fire right now. “It’s not really finals that are making it hard to sleep. I don’t know I just… I guess I never really sleep well. Normally I can at least get enough to function even if it means tossing and turning all night, lately it’s been worse, though.”

“What about tonight was different enough for you to sleep?” Lance asked, rolling over on his side so he was facing Keith even if he couldn’t see him. 

“Maybe I felt safer? You know when I’m with a bunch of people I trust I don’t feel so on edge. But also,” Keith faltered, unable to keep going.

“We make you feel safe?” Lance’s voice was quieter, a tone to it that Keith didn’t recognize. 

“Yeah. Like I said, I trust you.” Keith shrugged. He thought the others all knew that, but maybe he was wrong.

“I trust you too, Keith. And I know the others do too.” Lance sounded almost… in awe. As if he couldn’t believe how he’d managed to earn Keith’s trust. If Lance hadn’t known Keith trusted him so much, maybe Keith was wrong about a lot of other things he assumed Lance knew.

It was quiet for a while, but Lance hadn’t rolled back over so Keith figured the conversation would start back up again eventually.

“Keith?” Lance hummed.

“Yeah?

“What was the also?” 

“I woke back up after a little bit so I figured something else had to be contributing to why I felt so relaxed.” Keith managed to say, not sure if he wanted Lance to figure it out or just drop it. Which was worse?

“Do you know what it was?” 

Keith could not ask for this, right? Even if they’d been having a bit of back and forth flirting and they were definitely too close to just be friends… it wasn’t like he could just  _ ask  _ for Lance to pet his hair. That was too much. Even if Lance wouldn’t laugh, it might make him uncomfortable.

Lance  _ had  _ been the one to initiate in the first place….

“The um. Well, I…” Keith took a deep breath, trying to steel his nerves enough to stop fumbling so much. It was very uncharacteristic for him and he hated it. “It was your hands. In my hair.” 

He was going to explode on the spot. No way he said it out loud. It sounded even more embarrassing just hearing it than it had in his head.

_ “Oh.”  _ Lance squeaked and Keith very much wished he could see Lance’s face right now. He probably had that adorable redness spreading all over his face and the tips of his ears. “Okay. Would you, um… I could, you know, like do it… again?” 

Keith still couldn’t decide if it had been a mistake to ask. Sure he was getting what he wanted but he also felt like fading out of existence. 

“You don’t have to, really. Just go to sleep, I-” Keith started backtracking. Anything to stop feeling so ridiculous.

“No, I’d like to. If you want me to.” 

And Keith really, really did want him to, couldn’t stop the immediate “Please.”

They shifted a little so Keith was closer to Lance, trying to find a comfortable way to do this. Once Lance started moving his hand, small and mostly soothing little motions, the embarrassment faded almost immediately. Almost everything in Keith’s head faded almost immediately. It took awhile for him to relax enough to press against Lance’s hand though, wanting more contact. Something about the weight of Lance’s fingers in his hair was so reassuring. 

It was like Keith said earlier: he trusted Lance. It made sense, almost, that contact would be reassuring, letting him know for sure someone he trusted was right there. But it was more than that. Keith couldn’t think enough to understand it. 

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's POV the next morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..... Kinda want to hide out of shame for being gone so long and returning with something so hideously short? I honestly haven't done any writing in the last few months. It's been hectic for my family and at work and I'm mostly creatively drained. I have been drawing a lot more and cosplaying so if you wanna see that check out my insta/tik tok. Username is Believeinthejourney for both of them :)  
> I promise I have not left this fandom. I care about the characters too deeply to abandon writing about them entirely. I have been putting more effort into Danganronpa lately so be expecting some fics from that js. BUT NONE OF MY VOLTRON FICS ARE DEAD YET   
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck around and has been leaving me messages. I have seen each and everyone but since I wasn't updating, I didn't respond so I could keep seeing them when I logged into my account. You all encourage me so much and are so kind, ily so much.   
> This update is for Leonardo_Charles_BlueWood_69 (thank you especially for all your kind comments on my works) since you said you'd been rereading it I thought I'd give you the couple pages I had typed up forever ago but never finished or posted. This fic probably isn't finished because I would like them to get together but they weren't cooperating with me at the time, my apologies. Enjoy this for now! <3

The very first thing Lance was aware of when he woke up was that his arm was boneless. It was that weird, disorienting feeling that your arm is not yours because it’s so dead. When he tried to move it to renew the blood flow, he found he could not and forced his eyes open. 

Immediately he regretted trying to move at all because Keith had been using his numb limb as a pillow and was now starting to stir. Lance held his breath and tried to remain still as possible in the hopes that Keith wouldn’t wake. Keith muttered something about needing to stay asleep to finish his dream and settled back down. 

Lance could not believe his good fortune. He had dismissed last night as a too-good-to-be-true dream. Real Keith would never ask to have his hair pet. Yet, here he was with an infuriatingly gorgeous boy drooling on his shirt sleeve that had, in fact, asked to be soothed to sleep. 

He also said he trusted Lance. And the others, of course, but Lance  _ specifically. _

This could not be his life.

Lance allowed himself to stare for a moment more before he was certain if he waited any longer, they’d have to amputate his arm. 

“Sorry,” he whispered before slowly trying to tug his arm away. Keith bolted upright, nearly elbowing Lance in the face in the process; Keith’s fists raised to protect his face from whatever danger he imagined there to be. 

“You’re safe, Keith. Sorry for waking you but my arm was killing me,” Lance held up his floppy, useless arm with his other hand to support the weight as proof.

Keith stared at him blankly for a moment before beginning to look sheepish, “Oh.”

“Sleep well?” 

“Yeah, thanks for letting me stay over,” Keith rubbed the back of his head, further messing up his hair. Lance had to curl his hands into fists to fight the urge to put his hands back in Keith’s hair. It had been so unfairly soft last night. 

Lance opened his mouth to wave off Keith’s gratitude but hissed in pain as his arm got all tingly. Keith looked up and laughed at the way Lance was prodding his own arm. 

“Here,” Keith snorted, grabbing Lance by the wrist and pulling his arm towards him. Keith slowly rubbed the underside of Lance’s forearm and calmed the pins and needles feeling quicker. Lance’s whole body went warm; now he was the one that couldn’t look at Keith. 

“Um… thanks.” Lance murmured.

“Better?” Keith asked, releasing Lance’s arm.

“Yeah. Do you want breakfast or something?”

Keith shook his head, “No, you’ve already let me stay over. At the very least, let me make breakfast.”

“You can cook?” Lance sounded more surprised than he’d meant to.

Keith smirked, seeming to be more challenged than offended by Lance’s comment, “I can do lots of things you wouldn’t expect.”

“Oh? Well, besides showering like a normal human being, you mean,” Lance couldn’t help the jab to avoid how flirtatious Keith’s words sounded. Keith was not flirting and never would flirt with him. Keith was just inept with social interactions sometimes. It was fine, Lance could be a normal human being. 

“Alright, Mr. Two Hour Skin Care Routine. You go shower and I will make breakfast.” Keith shoved Lance almost out of bed as he stood up. Keith grabbed his phone off the desk and paused to check his messages.

Lance grabbed his clothes on his way to the shower, glancing over Keith’s shoulder as he did so.

“Something up?” 

“Everyone’s blowing up the group chat. Pidge got a new game I guess and they all want to come back over to play it since you’ve got the biggest TV.” Keith said, tilting his head to the side to let Lance read. 

“Sure they can come over. You gonna stay too?” 

“Have to. Now I have five people to make breakfast for,” Keith sighed, plugging his phone in. “Do you have something I could change into?”

“I don’t know, there’s probably something in my drawers. Pick out whatever you like. And next time bring a change of clothes.” Lance shrugged on his way to the bathroom. “Oh, and don’t bother with breakfast, Hunk will probably bring something anyways.”

“No, I told him not to. What, are you  _ scared  _ of me making you breakfast?”

 Lance grinned wickedly, “Yeah, I am,” and ducked into the bathroom to avoid the shirt Keith threw at him. 

***

While in the shower, Lance could hear the voices of his friends through the stupidly thin walls, so he knew to expect them. What he was wildly unprepared for, however, was the conversation they were having when he entered the living area.

Shiro must have been the one Keith had been talking to since Hunk and Pidge were having their own conversation much quieter at the table.

“Listen okay, before you go any further about responsibility or whatever… Pidge bet me three dollars I couldn’t drink all that perfume.” Keith huffed.

Lance’s jaw dropped and he screeched before he could even think a proper response in any kind of sensical language. That got Pidge’s attention and she immediately started cackling. 

_ “You drank perfume?”  _ Lance demanded.

“That was not at all…  _ Keith!”  _ Shiro reprimanded, smacking his friend’s arm.

“The best part is I was joking! I didn’t think he’d do something so stupid for only three dollars,” Pidge wheezed out between her laughter.

“You still owe me, by the way.” Keith frowned.

“Keith, she made you do it for the memes. You’re not getting paid a dime.” Lance informed Keith, searching his face for some kind of clue why that idiot was so hot.

“I hate you,” Keith glared at Pidge, but she just kept laughing. “So if that’s not what you wanted to talk to me about, then what?”

Shiro glanced in Lance’s direction and paused before shaking his head. “Nevermind. I’m being haunted by the idea of you drinking perfume right now. We’ll have to talk later.”

“I have to say, Mullet, if your idea of a good beverage is perfume I’m petrified of this meal you’ve made us.” Lance reminded them all of breakfast as his stomach growled. He was starving.

Hunk visibly relaxed, “Oh Keith! You made breakfast. I thought it was Lance.” 

“Hey! Don’t sound so relieved! I’m an excellent cook,” Lance sulked.

“No, you definitely aren’t. You just stick to baking, bud.” Hunk said, patting Lance’s arm on his way to the kitchen as a means of soothing him. 

Lance pouted all through breakfast, trying very hard to not make it evident that Keith’s breakfast was in fact delicious. Not anywhere near the level of Hunk’s cooking, but Keith made a mean omelet. Lance was not allowed to have this kind of information because his brain was absolutely terrible. All he kept thinking, despite his efforts, was what a great boyfriend Keith would make. 

Bad Brain.

He just couldn’t help himself though, picturing Keith in a cute half-apron and Lance distracting him so they could dance terribly in the kitchen and Keith would freak out because the food was burning. Then Lance would have to kiss it better-

The arm he was using to prop up his face up with was shoved off the table, adequately ripping him from his very dangerous daydream. “Huh?” he squeaked out, blinking at everyone. Could they see his blush? Pidge was giving him her most evil look. She definitely knew. This was bad.

“What were you thinking about?” she asked innocently with an enormous smirk on her face.

Lance did his best to not look at Keith so he could come up with an excuse but he had terrible impulse control. So he ended up just sputtering something unintelligible and tried to ignore his friends’ varying expressions. 

“Okay, seriously is no one going to mention the fact that Keith is wearing Lance’s clothes?” Pidge demanded after a long moment of silence. Lance was grateful, at first for the change of subject. Then he actually processed what she’d said and his head jerked to stare at Keith. He’d forgotten entirely that the other had borrowed his clothing.

Why did Keith have to make everything look so pretty?

His stomach was churning and Lance was just trying so hard to not look like a lovesick puppy, honest. It was so hard, however, because Lance’s shirt was so long on him but also was being stretched out in the arm, shoulder, chest area due to Keith’s more defined muscles. Lance wanted very badly.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The movie they're watching is the Notebook, by the way. It's one of the few straight romances I don't completely abhor. Which is exactly why I decided Keith hates it.  
> Comments are extremely appreciated!


End file.
